The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-02-03

In the Foreign Missionary Magazine
f. A. Surge, NJ. D., of Siam. gives
this interesting account of some
Siamese saperstitions:
81 am not afraid Of tigers said a
young Siamese, who was touring with
the missionaries in a portion of the
country where those animals abound.
..but / do fear Spirits All the
natives dread these supernatural beings
which they believe fill the air, and
have the power to cause all manner Of
diseases. Therefore, the Siamese
usually wear some charm to protect
themselves from these unwelcome
visitors. Among these charms sup
posed to be possessed Of great virtue
may be mentioned a piece of an old
sandal that has once been worn by a
Buddhist priest, or one of the copies Of
their sacred texts rolled up and tied
around the neck.
A Siamese mother does not feel at
all pleased when you admire her child
and remark upon its healthiness and
beauty. They often say of fine ba-
by that it is an ugly, skinny little thing.
for fear lest the spirits might hear it
praised and take it away. When a
child dies. the mother is always fear
full that the spirit of her child will
come back and take her away to the
spirit world, as she thinks the little
one may not be able to exist without
her. When mother dies. the children
| are afraid for the same reason. Four
years ago. when the cholera was so
violent in Siam, an old lady, one of the
native Christians, died Of this disease;
the next day two Of her grandchildren
were taken. The heather friends Of
the family scolded them strongly for
not using certain CHI arms to prevent
the spirit Of the grandmother from re
turning for the little ones.
| One of their ways Of preventing this
return of the departed is to cut hole
in the side of the house. The coffin
containing the remains is passed out
through This opening, which is after
ward closed. They believe the spirits
are so stupidthat, should they return and
not find the opening by which they
came out, they will be unable to enter
| the house
For the numerous diseases supposed
to be caused by spirits, the Siamese
have large number of doctors who
make a specially Of such cases. These
doctors use various charms, and prayers.
Sometimes they place string around
the room where the sick one lies. Tc
this string are fastened many little
pieces Of paper upon which they have
written some of their nonsense. The
spirits are not supposed to be able to
pass over this string. Sometimes the
doctor may be seen standing by the sick
bed brandishing huge knives, and COM
manding the spirits, in loud and abu-
sive language, to come out ofthe patient.
Sometimes little images are made Of
CLAW; these are dressed as men and
woman. placed in little carts, together
with offerings Of food and flowers, and
brought to the side of the sick one, and
the spirits are asked to come out of the
patient and make their abode in these
little dolls. These little carts contain
ing the puppets are then drawn out OF
the town. and the invalid-if the oper-
alton has been successful-is now in Il
fair way to recover. For the accom-
mediation of the spirits the natives
make little houses resembling somewhat
our bird houses. These they placed
upon poles about five feet in height,
and in them little offerings of fruit and
flowers and lighted inccnse-sticks are
set from time to time, to gain the favor
of the spirits occupying their immediate
neighborhood. Thenatives often make